Elderly woman crawls away from burning Vancouver home

Vancouver fiire fighters raced to 1201 Brandt Road about 4:30 this morning on a report of a woman trapped in a burning home, according to Capt. Kevin Murray.

When crews arrived, they found a 78-year-old woman and her dog on the ground, in her yard about 12 feet from the front door.The crews quickly put down a kitchen fire of unknown origin.

The woman, who has a previous problem related to a broken leg, was taken to Southwest Washington Medical Center and treated for smoke inhalation, Murray said

It's not known exactly how the woman discovered the fire. It might have been her dog, Murray said. A smoke detector in the home had no battery. He urged citizens to keep their smoke detectors in working order, and powered. "It's our 24-hour friend."